Paula Farrell, at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, where she pleaded not guilty to murdering Wayne McQuillan (30) at her home in January, 2014 (Image: collins)

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A woman stabbed her toy boy lover to death with a large kitchen knife in a drunken row, a court heard yesterday.

Paula Farrell, 42, is alleged to have knifed 30-year-old Wayne McQuillan four times at her home after a New Year’s Eve booze-up last year.

The court heard the victim staggered out of the house, collapsed on the grass and told witnesses: “Boys, I’m going. I’m after being stabbed. I’m gone.”

At the Central Criminal Court, Ms Farrell pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr McQuillan on January 1, 2014.

In his opening speech prosecution lawyer Mr Gerard Clarke said Farrell, from Rathmullen Park in Drogheda, Co Louth, and Mr McQuillan had been in a relationship for a year.

He added the couple regularly “overindulged” in drink and particularly on the night in question.

Mr Clarke said an argument broke out between the pair at Farrell’s home in the early hours of January 1.

He claimed: “Ms Farrell took a large kitchen knife from a large block of knives and stabbed Mr McQuillan four times and one stab was fatal.

“You will hear evidence from the State Pathologist that three stab wounds hit the bone and another downward stab into the left shoulder cut an important sub clavicle vein – this is a large vein in the body which led to massive bleeding.”

Prosecution lawyers told the jury they would hear from various witnesses who passed the house when Mr McQuillan appeared at the door.

Mr Clarke said: “A number of witnesses thought he had oil on his upper body but it was a massive quantity of blood.

“He shouted at teenagers outside to get an ambulance. You will hear Paula Farrell stood at the door and told them not to call an ambulance.

“She went back into the house and began to clean up and the knife she used was found in the sink.”

The court heard Mr McQuillan was then brought to hospital in a Garda car but was already in cardiac arrest when he arrived.

Mr Clarke added: “He was revived after some effort and it took 10 to 15 minutes to resuscitate him.

“As part of the medical procedure they carried out a CT scan but he suffered another cardiac arrest and he couldn’t be resuscitated and was declared dead at 4.39am.”

A witness statement from Farrell’s daughter Seana taken by gardai on January 2, 2014 was read to the court by prosecution counsel Maurice Coffey.

Mr Coffey read: “I heard a knock at the door and someone saying your ma has after stabbed someone.

“Quilly was destroyed in blood, there was blood everywhere.

“When I went to the house I could see my ma standing at the front door, she was crying and had her hands over her face, saying what had she done.